Our community is filled with hard-working, high achieving entrepreneurs and creatives and so work-life balance is a complicated, but highly relevant topic. We’ve shared some responses from the community about work life balance and how their views have evolved over time below.

Rob Davies | Landscape Photographer

Well, there have been considerable changes in terms of work/life balance over the last quarter century or so. I moved from the U.K to the U.S in the mid 1990’s after completing a PhD in chemistry. I began my career in the pharmaceutical industry where as a single individual I had a lot of freedom to dedicate long hours to work. Those early days were marked by a focus on professional growth and exploration. As life unfolded, I entered the realm of marriage and parenthood, ushering in a new era of responsibilities and challenges. The transition from a single, career-focused individual to a spouse and parent naturally shifted the dynamics of my daily life. Balancing the demands of work and family became a delicate art. Perhaps not always that delicate! Both my wife and I embarked on parallel full-time careers, but our jobs provided a silver lining – flexibility. This allowed us to navigate the intricate dance of managing professional commitments alongside the responsibilities of raising a family. The harmony we found in our synchronized schedules brought a semblance of balance to our lives during those years. The turning point came with a decision about seven years to depart from the research-driven path and embrace a more artistically creative career. This marked a profound shift, not just professionally but also in the equilibrium of our daily lives. The demands of a creative pursuit introduced new complexities, challenging us to reassess and recalibrate our family dynamics. Fast forward to today, where my landscape photography career takes me on journeys far and wide. This new chapter introduces a unique set of challenges. Coordinating my wife’s work commitments, managing our children’s schooling and activities, and juggling my own travel schedule for photography require a heightened level of effort and organization. In this ongoing journey, I’ve come to appreciate the evolving nature of life balance. Each phase, marked by career choices and personal milestones, brings its own set of intricacies and compromises. It is certainly one of the biggest challenges, balancing the day to day activities of home life and having the opportunities to travel away to continue the photography and most effectively expand the business. Read more>>

Yuli Gates | Artist specialising in illustration and printmaking

I don’t think I have much of what other people would consider balance, since I work full time in a role where I support people improve their lives and wellbeing through non medical means, I am studying psychotherapy, I volunteer for two charities, and I make art in my ‘spare’ time. I enjoy what I do and all of it gives me a strong sense of meaning and purpose, so I find the time. Even if it’s 10 min a day, I will do my best to create daily. Read more>>

Kehaulani Eltgonde | Lifestyle, portraits & elopement photographer

When I first became a business owner I was constantly working, being on my phone, editing pictures and such. As I’m entering my third year into photography I am now transitioning into limiting being on my phone , editing images and the times I’m doing sessions. It is definitely a learning process , especially when you want your business to succeed. Read more>>